Steering wheel

Abstract

A steering wheel including a core metal of a ring portion also includes a soft portion and a hard portion for covering circumferential portions of the core metal. Leather is disposed on a surface of the soft portion and overlaps edges of the hard portion. Extended portions extending from the soft portion surround the core metal and are covered by the hard portion. In this manner, a user of the steering wheel may experience comfort in the feel of the leather on the soft portion as well as an aesthetically appealing hard portion.

1. A steering wheel comprising:
 a core metal of a ring portion;  
 at least one molded soft portion covering a circumferential portion of the core metal and the core metal of the ring portion;  
 leather disposed on a surface of the at least one soft portion;  
 at least one hard portion covering circumferential portions of the core metal of the ring portion outside the circumferential portions covered by the at least one soft portion and being harder than the at least one soft portion; and  
 at to surround said core metal of said ring portion; and  
 at least one extended portion that is intergrally extended from the at least one soft portion to surround the core metal of the ring portion, wherein  
 the at least one hard portion is for covering the at least one extended portion, and  
 the leather extends in a circumferential direction beyond the edges of the at least one soft portion so as to overlap and attach to an edge region of the at least one hard portion.  
 
     
     
       2. A steering wheel according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one soft portion and the at least one extended portion are molded simultaneously and are made of the same material. 
     
     
       3. A steering wheel according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one soft portion and the at least one extended portion cover an overall body of the core metal of the ring portion. 
     
     
       4. A steering wheel according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one extended portion is thinner than the at least one soft portion by a thickness of the at least one hard portion. 
     
     
       5. A steering wheel according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one hard portion incorporates an upper split member having an inverted U-shaped cross section and a lower split member having a U-shaped cross section. 
     
     
       6. A steering wheel according to  claim 5 , wherein an end of the leather is fixed around a core tube and ends of the upper split member and the lower split member have recess grooves for receiving the end of the leather that is fixed around the core tube. 
     
     
       7. A steering wheel according to  claim 1 , wherein an end of the leather is supported by a support portion formed at an end of the at least one hard portion so as to be secured to the at least one hard portion, a coating layer is applied to an outer surface of the support portion and to a surface of the at least one hard portion, and the at least one soft portion and the leather are bonded to the at least one hard portion through the coating layer. 
     
     
       8. A steering wheel according to  claim 7 , wherein the support portion is formed with a groove having an annular shape in the cross sectional circumferential direction of the at least one hard portion to receive an end of the leather. 
     
     
       9. A steering wheel according to  claim 7 , wherein the support portion further comprises:
 a support surface for supporting the inner surface of the leather; and  
 a tapered portion having a narrowed outer shape for facilitating a connection between the at least one hard portion and the at least one soft portion.  
 
     
     
       10. A steering wheel according to  claim 7 , further comprising an adhesive layer that is applied to a surface of the at leant one soft portion and that bonds the surface of the at least one soft portion to the leather. 
     
     
       11. A steering wheel according to  claim 10 , wherein the leather is bonded to the support portion through the adhesive layer and the coating layer. 
     
     
       12. A steering wheel according to  claim 7 , wherein a decorative layer is disposed between a surface of the at least one hard portion and the coating layer, the decorative layer includes a printed layer and a primer layer that is disposed between the surface of the at least one hard portion and the printed layer, the decorative layer and the coating layer are applied to the outer surface of the at least one support portion, and the at least one soft portion and the leather are bonded to the at least one hard portion through the decorative layer and the coating layer. 
     
     
       13. A steering wheel according to  claim 12 , wherein the decorative layer and the coating layer are also applied between at least a portion of the core metal of the ring portion and the at least one soft portion. 
     
     
       14. A steering wheel according to  claim 1 , wherein circular grooves are formed radially outside the at least one extended portion between the at least one hard portion and the at least one soft portion for receiving a core tube with an end of the leather being fixed thereto, wherein the core tube is fixed to the at least one hard portion. 
     
     
       15. A steering wheel according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one hard portion and the at least one soft portion are disposed in a planar circumferential direction of the core metal of the ring portion and the core metal of the ring portion is of die-cast metal. 
     
     
       16. A steering wheel according to  claim 15 , wherein the die-cast metal has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 20×10 −6 /° C. or greater. 
     
     
       17. A steering wheel according to  claim 16 , wherein the die-cast metal is one of an aluminum alloy and a magnesium alloy. 
     
     
       18. A steering wheel according to  claim 15 , wherein the die-cast metal has a thermal conductivity of 0.30 cal·cm −1 ·s −1 ° C. −1  or greater at 20° C.